Xiaojun Huang joined Veolia Water in 1999. In 2004, he began presiding over external relations as vice president of Veolia Water China, and in 2010 he became vice president of Veolia China. Previously he worked as a diplomat for over 10 years with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Huang has leadership roles in many organisations, including executive president of China Environment Service Industry, vice president of China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment, vice president of China Association of Circular Economy and board member of China Business Council for Sustainable Development. Among other roles, he is an expert at Jilin Think Tanks and invited professor at the UN University for Peace. He graduated from the University of International Relations in 1986 and later had further studies at the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University. He holds an MBA from Peking University.
Omar Hameed has worked for Pakistan’s Mission to the European Union since 2016. He joined the civil service of Pakistan in 1995 and has diverse experience within the public and development sectors. He has worked in the prime minister’s secretariat, ministries of commerce, foreign affairs and capital administration, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, UNDP, UNIDO and Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority. Hameed has completed multiple courses on international trade and is a certified master trainer in trade negotiations from the World Trade Institute at Berne. He holds a master’s in international economic law from Warwick University.
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Dukwoo Jun
Circular Economy Community of Practice Lead
Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)
Dukwoo Jun is a distinguished leader in green economic development, with a focus on circular economy initiatives. As the global lead at GGGI, he has spearheaded innovative circular economy investment solutions. Dukwoo’s work in public-private partnerships has launched transformative waste-to-value projects in developing countries, integrating cutting-edge practices such as EV battery recycling, biomass-based plastics, biochar and biohydrogen. Prior to his current tenure, he served at the National Institute of Green Technology of the Republic of Korea as a director and circular economy specialist. His work encompassed steering technical assistance for green R&D and fostering circular approaches, spawning impactful spin-off projects.
Tseng Tse-Fong has held numerous roles in academia and city governance. His significant role as the CEO of the "IBA Kaohsiung 2030" Preparatory Team is central to transforming Kaohsiung from a traditional industrial city into a NetZero, circular and smart city by 2050. His leadership emphasises citizen co-innovation and experimentation, positioning the community at the heart of sustainable urban development. By fostering a participatory approach, Tseng is not just driving environmental sustainability but also ensuring social justice and community ownership in the transformation process. His work in Kaohsiung showcases a forward-thinking model for urban development that balances technological advancements with citizen engagement, offering a replicable blueprint for other cities aiming for a sustainable future.
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Liyang Zhu
President
China Association of Circular Economy (CACE)
Liyang Zhu is a professor-level senior economist andmember of the Fourth China National Expert Committee on Climate Change. He has a long-term participation in policy research, major plannings formulation, relevant regulations drafting and revision, and review and evaluation of important demonstration projects in the fields of the circular economy, energy conservation and emission reduction, climate change and environmental protection, in support of NDRC and other relevant government departments. Before working in CACE, he was the director of the resource and environment industry department of China International Engineering Consulting Corporation (CIECC). Zhu was also the member of the general Group of China National Medium- and Long-Term Program for Science and Technology on Water Pollution Control and Treatment, as well as been awarded with the State Council Special Government Allowance for experts.
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Kai Zhao
Executive Vice President
China Association of Circular Economy (CACE)
Kai Zhao holds an MBA from Guanghua School of Management, Peking University. He is an expert member of the National Green Development Fund Expert Advisory Committee, the National Technical Committee on Environmental Protection (SAC/TC275), the National Technical Committee on the Basis and Management of Product Recycling and Utilization (SAC/TC415), and the National Technical Committee on Energy Systems (SAC/TC459), among others. Zhao has successively won the second and the third prize of the China Standard Innovation Contribution Award. He has been engaging in the promotion of energy conservation and the circular economy over twenty years and has extensive experience in international cooperation.
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Yisong Guan
Chief Representative of the Beijing Office
Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Yisong Guan has rich experience in consulting governments and enterprises for the green transition. In his over ten years’ career on climate change, he founded Easy Carbon, a consultancy firm which supported its clients to develop low carbon transition strategies and achieve carbon financing under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of UNFCCC. The company secured over RMB5 billion carbon emission reduction financing for its clients through the international carbon market, and has successfully developed the largest number of CDM projects in China. He was the chief operations officer of the UNEP – International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP), responsible for organisation management and project execution to protect biodiversity while promoting international cooperation on ecosystem management. Now, he is leading the foundation’s programme to accelerate the circular economy transition of China through high-level cooperation, industry transition dialogue and capacity building to unlock the country’s potentials and achieve the social and environmental benefits from the circular economy.
Xiaoting Chen brings a wealth of expertise to her role at the foundation’s Beijing office, where she leads their plastic initiative and the policy and climate workstream in China. With a PhD in sustainability economy from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Chen possesses over 16 years’ invaluable experience in the field of sustainability. Prior to her current position, Chen served as the global coordinator for Greening the Belt and Road Initiative at WWF China, and senior manager of the strategic corridor programme at KPMG China’s Global China Practice, where she played a pivotal role in shaping environmental strategies on a global scale and demonstrating her proficiency in crafting sustainable business solutions.
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Hua Wen
Program Director, Energy Transition Project
Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC) China
Hua Wen collaborates with Chinese partners to design and implement research and outreach projects to accelerate just and inclusive energy transitions in China's top coal-consuming provinces and cities. Prior to joining NRDC, he worked with the World Resources Institute for nine years, focusing on project management and cross-cutting research on the water-energy nexus, climate preparedness and market-based mechanisms. Before that, Hua worked as a programme officer at the Chongqing Environmental Protection Bureau in southwest China. He holds a master's in environmental engineering from Southwest China University and an MPA from the University of Maryland.
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Ying-Chih Deng-Sommer
Senior Officer
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability World Secretariat
Ying-Chih Deng-Sommer is a motivated sustainability professional driven to create meaningful change. He is dedicated to managing environmental impacts and leading initiatives that advocate circular development and transform business models.
